Central Michigan University has released the complete list and open forums schedule of the three finalists for Provost Gary Shapiro’s successor, following an incomplete announcement last week.

The newly announced third candidate is Michael Gealt, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics and biology professor at the University of Arkansas. Before that, Gealt was employed at Purdue and Drexel universities. His open forum is scheduled for 4 p.m. April 24 in the Ausable Room of the Bovee University Center.

The decision to withhold information on the third candidate until this week was not a choice made by the university, according to College of Communications and Fine Arts Dean Salma Ghanem.

“We were waiting for the finalist to give us permission to release the name,” Ghanem said.

Finalist Alan White is the first candidate to have a scheduled open forum. White is the dean of the Thomas Harrior College of Arts and Sciences and professor of biology at East Carolina University, where he has served for eight years.

White also has experience at North Dakota State University and Marshall University. His open forum has been rescheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Ausable Room of the Bovee University Center.

The second candidate is Karen Schmaling, who previously held an executive-level position and taught psychology at Washington State University. Additionally, Schmaling has worked at the University of North Carolina, the University of Texas, the University of Washington School of Medicine and the University of Colorado.

Schmaling’s open forum is scheduled for 4 p.m. April 18 in the Ausable Room of the Bovee UC.

The finalists were selected following a search that began last year with the help of Parker Executive Search.

The Atlanta-based firm has had experience in helping find candidates for upper-level positions at many major universities, including head football coaches at both Georgia State and North Carolina State universities.

As previously reported by Central Michigan Life, Shapiro will be retiring from the provost position at the end of the academic year. After taking a year off, he will return to teaching in fall 2014.

“We will miss Dr. Shapiro,” Ghanem added. “All three candidates are highly qualified for this position.”

The position of provost doubles as executive vice president at CMU. According to the university, the position leads the university’s academic division, including the management of the seven academic colleges and coordination of the senior executive staff.

As provost, Shapiro makes an annual salary of $254,000 and will continue to receive pay during his one-year leave before returning to teaching. It is still unclear what salary his replacement will earn.